Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airline Media Rate: Conditions & Price

Southwest Airlines is one of the leading airline companies with more than 50 years of history and a good reputation. The company's concept focuses mainly on customer satisfaction, efficient operations, innovative logistics solutions, and great support for travelers with different kinds of baggage, specifically with photographic equipment.

If you plan to travel on Southwest Airlines and take media bags with you, it is important to clarify several questions, such as:

  • Does the airline have a media rate? If so, how much will it cost to transfer a particular kind of baggage during a trip? 
  • How safe and protected is media bag transportation with Southwest Airlines?

To answer these and other questions, here is a detailed Southwest Airlines media rate and tips for optimizing such travel.

Southwest Airlines media rate

Southwest has pretty clear guidelines for calculating the cost of carrying cameras, film, video, lighting, and sound equipment. On the official site, media bags can be found in the Special baggage and sports equipment category, and more detailed information on fees for one-way travel can be found in the Optional Travel Charges section.

To save your time, here’s a brief overview of the Southwest media rate and key details to know:

  • The first and second carry-on bags (personal items) or checked bags are free of charge. This means you need to pay $0 per item for the first two checked bags with photographic equipment.
  • The 3rd large media camera equipment bag will cost you $75 per item

You will only need to pay for media bags if you have extra baggage.

What about size limitations? The first two checked bags are free if they do not exceed 50 lbs and 62 inches (L+W+H). All the following bags, as well as those that exceed the standard size, will be accepted for a fee of $75 per item. A bag's maximum weight is 100 pounds. You can bring up to 20 bags on one trip.

Media cameras will not be required to fit in the same size box as other carry-on luggage. If your media equipment is oversized or overweight, you will not be charged. Additionally, if the size of your media suitcase is too large to fit on a single seat, the equipment can be considered a personal item, and you can purchase an additional ticket to lay down your devices.

Although Southwest media baggage rates appear slightly higher than those of other companies, the airline remains a low-cost carrier with no hidden baggage fees. Besides, transporting all types of baggage is always provided by enhanced security measures. 

However, there is one thing to be taken into account. As mentioned on the official website, cameras, lighting, film or sound equipment, musical instruments, or any other media equipment will be accepted when presented by a representative of a network or local television broadcasting company or a commercial filming company. In other words, you need to prove that you are a media person.

Ways to optimize media bags transporting

As you can see, due to Southwest Airlines media rate, traveling with photographic equipment can be expensive, especially if you want to bring more than three bags. If you are traveling with production equipment and want to decrease the media rate, having a valid media ID can offer significant savings. 

Fly With Media ID provides a discounted rate for transporting media bags (cameras, film, videotape, lighting, sound, or any other equipment). You can significantly lower the rate of Southwest Airlines or other airline on checked luggage. As a result, if you have a media ID, you won't have any trouble checking in with airlines like Southwest Airlines.

For additional information, please feel free to get in touch with us.

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